On Thursday, Sept. 22, the Camp Verde Planning and Zoning Department held a continuation of a previous hearing from Sept. 8 for a zoning change request for Arena del Loma.
The arena’s request has caused such a stir that both meetings required additional overflow seating to accommodate the amount of people that showed up.
Despite many hours of discussion and multiple attempts to negotiate middle ground between the applicant, Arena del Loma’s manager and lessee Tanner Bryson, and approximately 30 of his neighbors who oppose the request, planning and zoning was unsuccessful.
After the hearing closed, a motion to approve a recommendation to change the arena’s current zoning, R1-70 or Residential Single Family, 70,000 square foot minimum lot size to R1-70/ PAD or Residential Single Family, 70,000 square foot minimum lot size/Planned Area Development, failed with a 3-3 vote.
As it currently stands, the arena’s request will go on to the town council for consideration, as per regulations.
So far, a council date has not been announced to the public.
Current Status & Complaints
The arena, which has been in existence since 1964, currently operates under grandfathered non-conforming use status as defined by a 2016 Notice of Decision.
The NOD allows the arena to regularly conduct various equine events like roping clinics, despite being situated in a residential neighborhood.
Over the past several years, many of the arena’s neighbors have filed various complaints, which have to do with noise, lighting, the amount of animals on the property, road and traffic issues and more.
Despite the complaints, Bryson said that he wants to be liked by his neighbors, and the zoning change request is an attempt to appease them.
“This is my attempt to really work with the neighbors, to put more parameters on that property and show good faith that I’m trying to do something for the neighborhood; I did this voluntarily,” he said, while adding that none of his neighbors have ever visited the property or have spoken to him personally.
“The name of the road is Arena del Loma,” Bryson said. “I know people in Sedona that moved to Airport Road and then put in complaints about the airplanes and helicopters. You live on Airport Road, you live on Arena del Loma. Trust me, I wish I wasn’t in this position.”
However, Bryson’s neighbors, including the Yavapai-Apache Nation, were not convinced.
Yavapai-Apache Tribal Council Vice Chairwoman Tanya Lewis stated, “The majority of Arena del Loma community members need and expect their community to be predominantly residential in its character. Like all homeowners, the people of Arena del Loma expect their community to be a place where they can enjoy their homes largely free of the sounds, the lights, smells and traffic that marks the character of a commercial zone.
“Understandably, people need and expect their homes to be places of refuge where they can retreat at the end of the day to the peace and quiet that allows them to recharge for the challenges of the next day. On the other hand, the proponent of the zoning change apparently needs and expects the community members to simply accommodate a greatly expanded money-making equestrian facility, housing as many as 150 large animals, together with the sights, lights, waste, smells, traffic and sounds of large-scale arena events.”
Additionally, the coalition argued the NOD is already in violation of town codes pertaining to the number of on-site animals.
“The applicant, Mr. Bryson has been keeping many more livestock animals on his property on Arena del Loma than what is allowed according to the town of Camp Verde code, section 305,” said Dr. Gail Pate, who headed a committee to recommend livestock stocking capacities in 1987.
“When the NOD was granted, it was in violation of the town code. I recommend the applicant be restricted to town ordinances on livestock density provisions immediately and in any future uses of the Arena del Loma property when it is for keeping the same horses or cattle there for times exceeding a few days or weeks unless it is for an advertised designated event. Otherwise, the town’s ordinance permits nine head at most in permanent status on that property.”
Big Vision, Small Space
While many of the community members stated they do not wish to see the arena shut down, some suggested that Bryson’s vision is simply too large for the 4.4-acre space.
A consultant and representative of the coalition, Tierra Verde Builders owner John Bassous stated, “In the end, this is our opinion: The vision of the applicant is large, and I applaud vision. The problem is, the property is small. The thought of bringing in trailers and having roping arenas excites me, because I see revenue, I see it just fits with the town- but just not in that location.”
In a more lighthearted moment, Bryson said that he’d be open to a land trade in order to please his neighbors.
Planning and Zoning’s Vice Chairman Todd Scantlebury joked, “I’m about to give you my farm just to get rid of this,” which garnered laughter in the room.
While the future operating status of Arena del Loma remains uncertain for the moment, Bryson
maintained that he is willing to work with the town and the community.
“I really don’t have to or need to do any of this,” he said. “I’m here in good faith to try and do something good for my neighbors, put more restrictions on me, a lot more than what the NOD says. It’s been mischaracterized as my attempt to do this big commercial operation; it’s actually everything I’ve been doing and going to continue to do.”
